My Cat Has a Serious Problem...?

Question

My cat's been scratching and itching, she's missing patches of fur in many places, she has bloody scabs, she's very irritable, and she might have caught fleas from another cat.
Also, my mother has been using Hartz Flea and Tick medication spray on her, and my cat goes completely nuts when she does that, also, on both occasions my mom sprayed her, Salem (the cat) foamed at the mouth. Not to mention the first time mom sprayed her, Salem lost control of her bladder.
What's my cat's problem?

My cat's been scratching and itching, she's missing patches of fur in many places, she has bloody scabs, she's very irritable, and she might have caught fleas from another cat.
Also, my mother has been using Hartz Flea and Tick medication spray on her, and my cat goes completely nuts when she does that, also, on both occasions my mom sprayed her, Salem (the cat) foamed at the mouth. Not to mention the first time mom sprayed her, Salem lost control of her bladder.
What's my cat's problem?

I also forgot that she's wearing a flea collar.
She seems to lose fur when she has to wear one.
She's an indoor cat.

Answer 1

first take off that collar! by spraying her with more flea stuff and a flea collar she is getting to much, it can make her go into spasms and even a coma, if you can give her a bath i mean just rinse her thendry her get one vial of advantage,it is about 10 bucks, since she is an inside cat she probably will not have anymore flea problems for at least 6 mos, she also might have some ear mites put a little mineral oil on the end of a cutip and swab out the inner ear, she won't like it though, i have 16 indoor cats and they only need advantage once or twice a year, but the flea collars and spray stuff kills lots of cats every year so do not use it. god bless eme anytime ia am [e-mail]

Answer 2

Do not use any Hartz products! They can be ineffective and dangerous.Cats are very sensitive to flea products.If she is still acting sick you need to call a vet and or shampoo her(preferably with an aloe or oatmeal based shampoo). For flea control use something from the vet like Frontline. NO flea collars, No flea shampoos!You can also find it over the counter in most places.It is more expensive than Hartz or anything like that, but you get what you pay for. In addition, go to a pet store and get a spray that is approved for cats, that is for itching and skin irritation. Your cat probably has flea bite dermatitis, stay on the good flea prevenative and treat your house with an aerosol spray. If the skin problems don't get better in a couple weeks get to your vet to check for other health problems.You should also take a look at the food your cat eats. She may have an allergy to it, or a nutritional deficiency.If she's eating anything like meow mix,friskies,whiskas,ect, that is a problem.Good luck.

Answer 3

It is *not* rabies. It is probably two separate problems. First, the flea products you are using on her are making her sick. If she foams at the mouth, that means she has been poisoned. Get her to a vet! She may now have kidney problems or other damage from the flea spray.

I am guessing that the original scratching was probably a flea allergy. She may need steroids for a time to heal; a vet would have to prescribe those. And you *will* need to get rid of the fleas. Since she is an indoor cat, this is easier.

Use Prednisone, which is a growth regulator for fleas. Their eggs can't mature. Vacuum *every* surface you can, thoroughly, and spray it with Prednisone. To get rid of the fleas on her, use Frontline until there are no more fleas.

Answer 4

dont listen to anyone on here, the best thing for you to do is give the cat a bath. Oh nocats dont like water, so what, this is what I do I put the cats bath water in a tub or large storage container, then make sure u have protection for urself( figure out some way to do it) then what i do is add catnip to the water, and give the cat some catnip before it gets into the water, then what you do is is rub them with the water, also I do not lean over the tub, try to maintain some sort of str8 body posture, or he cat will try to excape, using there claws on ur neck and that hurt, also your cat may have foamed at the mouth for reasons other then the Flea and Tick spray, Salem may be getting old, so how old is salem?

Answer 5

First of all, some cats don't have a good tolerance to that to begin with -- and she may have an allergy.
Second -- it IS poison, so the inhaling and or getting it in her mouth would make her foam at the mouth. Cats have a much greater sense of smell than we do -- how would you feel with a cloud of flea spray dumped on YOUR head? Now multiply that by 100. Please don't use that anymore. Get Advantage or something like that from the vet -- a drop or two on the back of the neck and fleas are all gone in 12 hours.
Also, with the skin irritation, she needs to see a vet. It could be an allergy, or fleas, or ringworm, or a host of other things. Please contact your vet right away.

Answer 6

Hi......
As a vet tech I can only give you experience answers which are not a diagnosis!
From what you have said relating to fleas.... Your kitty could very well be having an allergic reaction to the flea bite itself! The products you discribed are not recomended... I suggest Frontline Plus which can be purchased at either your Vet Clinic or at some pet supply stores. I think the medication your using is burning as it's applied and that is why she is going nuts as you put it. The foaming of the mouth is simply the cat trying to expell the product! It has a most disgusting taste!
Good Luck to you and your kitties!

Answer 7

Hi
Try not using the spray any more your cat may have allergy's to the meds that are in the spray. Your best bet is to take the cat to the vet, It will cost some money but the vet will be able to give in meds that will help. Another thing is it could be allergic to the Silva from the fleas if so your vet will tell you how to handle that by keeping the cat inside and away from other animals that have fleas.
The bladder problem could be that it just got scared that has been known to happen.
Good luck

Answer 8

Fur loss is not good. It may not be fleas. Why haven't you taken her to a vet? As far as fleas are concerned, use a flea shampoo and give your cat a bath (be sure to clip the points of her claws first). Flea drops or flea collars are available at any pet store. You will also need to "flea bomb" your house to kill all the fleas and flea eggs in your carpets. Still, the hair loss sounds like she's been getting into fights with another cat. I assume she's an "outside" cat . . .

Answer 9

She has fleas and possibly an allergic reaction to fleas. You are wasting your money using the over the counter product. Some of those products cause seizures in cats and most often do not even work. Take your cat to the vet to get her some relief from the flea allergy and then ask for a preventative. Then get suggestions for taking care of the fleas and flea eggs in your home.

Answer 10

It sounds to me that she is having an allergic reaction to the flea medication. I would see if there are some alternatives for the meds and see if she gets better. Another idea is that she is allergic to the flea saliva and you may need to ask a vet what medication you should be using instead. Ive also heard of dogs and cats being allergic to flea collars in general. Some people suggest a bath in garlic, kitty is stinky for a few days but its organic. GL!